The sky is not falling! New Bond film set to break records!

Thursday

Nov 8, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Liz Smith

‘You can take Hollywood for granted like I did, or you can dismiss it with the contempt we reserve for what we don’t understand. It can be understood, too, but only dimly, in flashes. Not half a dozen men have ever been able to keep the whole equation of pictures in their heads,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald in “The Last Tycoon.”

Speaking of Hollywood, what is being understood right now — and not at all dimly — is the expected gargantuan box office of the new James Bond movie “Skyfall.” Overseas it has already taken in just under $300 million.

Sometimes the foreign take is misleading, but Sony feels “Skyfall” will not fall in the United States, as it has already out-grossed the two previous Daniel Craig 007 epics — “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace.”

“Skyfall” opens on Friday. After Hurricane Sandy and the presidential election, we all need some good healthy sex, violence, speeding cars, snappy tuxes and dangerous women.

And speaking of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the other night on TCM, I caught the 1974 version of Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. It was a huge flop then, and I wondered if time had been kind to it, as often happens with unpopular films down the road. (Everything is “re-evaluated.”)

Nope! The movie is as hilariously bad and wretchedly miscast as I recall. I have to say, however, it is hypnotic, and Theoni Aldredge’s Oscar-winning costumes are ravishing. I stayed right to the end. Giggling. Mr. Redford and Miss Farrow went on to better things. As did Sam Waterston and Bruce Dern. Karen Black went on just as she was in “The Great Gatsby” and for that, cult film fans are eternally grateful.

P.S. Perhaps the coming remake of “Gatsby” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan will be less laugh-inducing.

Boy! Oh, boy! Swifty’s restaurant in the 70s on Lexington was churning and burning the other eve. There was the Queen of all she deigns to survey, the incredible Suzy, who has kept her jaundiced wit on what passes for “café society” these many years.

Add also those “girls of the year,” Blaine Trump and Cornelia Guest, still gorgeous. Then I glimpsed Arthur Loeb whom everybody who can read and hold a bound book still misses. Add to this his niece, Daniela Chiara, lit agent Mimi Strong, fashion’s fave Ellin Saltzman and onetime Saks Fifth Avenue mover and shaker Helen O’Hagan.